Seeker 360

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Chapter 360. The Escape

Now’s the time—I can make it, the boy thought.

He snuck out of the cave, hiding himself behind a nearby rock for now.

If he could just escape without the man noticing—

As he thought that, something unexpected happened.

"THE GIRL ESCAPED!!"

A shout came from inside the cave.

It was loud enough for the man, who was relieving himself outside, to hear.

The voice belonged to the butler of the Holmrund family, a man named Ove.

The boy clicked his tongue in frustration. That butler had been pretending to be unconscious.

Despite the butler betraying the Holmrund family and suffering abuse from the men, for some reason, he still intended to help them.

"What did you say!? Damn it, I pissed on my hand, you bastard!"

The man who was urinating looked around in the same position.

After finishing, he returned to the front of the cave.

The boy and girl held their breath, still hiding behind the rocks near the cave entrance.

There had been no chance to escape.

If they were found, it would be over, the boy thought.

With his strength, there was no way he could defeat that man. He wouldn’t even be able to outrun him.

The man quickly scanned the area before the cave, clicked his tongue, and ran inside.

Relieved, the boy took the opportunity to slip away from the cave and into the forest ahead.

"That bastard Nils betrayed us! I swear I’ll kill him! Hey, you butler! Where the hell did they go!?"

"Th-they went outside! Outside the cave! I-I helped, so I deserve a share—"

"Tch, shut your mouth!"

"Ugh!"

"Damn it, this is bad. We need to find them now, or—"

Leaving the voices from the cave behind, the boy ran through the forest, carrying the girl.

The sound of their feet crunching on fallen leaves echoed through the woods.

If they moved too fast, the [Stealth] skill he’d activated would lose its effect.

But with this much distance, a little noise wouldn’t give them away.

This time, he’d escape for sure—the boy thought.

No, I will escape.

If they were caught now, everything would be over.

The boy ran straight towards the town—Lahati.

The kidnappers' cave was located at the base of Monster Mountain, not far from the town.

"Hey. You’re a good person, so why were you with them?"

The girl asked innocently from his arms.

Feeling she was already safe, her carefree attitude annoyed him a little.

"Save it, idiot! We haven’t escaped yet. Do you get that it’s over if we’re caught?"

"Who are you calling an idiot?! You’re the one who said we should escape! If you’re going to help, take responsibility till the end!"

"Ugh, stop mouthing off! Makes me wanna leave you here!"

"Th-that would be terrible!"

The girl clung to him desperately.

Her body was trembling.

(I’ve got to protect her, no matter what,) the boy thought, a wry smile forming in his mind.

As he ran towards town, a thought crossed his mind.

The two men who’d left to deliver a message had only been gone briefly.

If he ran towards the town, he might run into them.

That would be bad.

With his strength, he wouldn’t be able to take them on, either.

If they found him, he’d be caught in no time.

He absolutely had to avoid running into them.

Should I take a different route? He wondered.

But this area was the base of Monster Mountain. If he went the wrong way, he might wander into the territory of the Roc.

The boy didn’t know the area well, but he had overheard the men talking about it.

Well, whatever.

Getting caught by the men would be worse, he decided.

First, he needed to let the men pass by.

He would hide and wait for the right moment, then head towards the town.

If he made it to the town, they’d win.

What would happen after that—what fate awaited the boy, who knew their secrets—was uncertain, but the die had already been cast.

But then, the boy realized something he had forgotten.

"—Hey! The kid escaped! Nils let him out! They’ve got to still be close! Help me search for them!"

A man’s shout echoed from the direction of the cave, loud enough to be heard even from where the boy was.

The boy froze, terrified.

They could hear it—it wasn’t just his imagination.

"What the hell!?"

"Shit! What’s that idiot doing!?"

Voices came from much closer than he’d expected, up ahead.

No way, he thought in despair, but there was no time to think.

As he dove into the bushes, the presence of the two returning men approached rapidly.